Islamabad-Gilgit-Islamabad - Trip Report by Kaiser Khan

This trip happened more than three years ago. It's only when I showed the trip photos to Abbas, he encouraged me to write a trip report. The info I wrote behind each photograph helped me to compile this report. 

It all started, when I got a call from my dear friend Capt. Tariq on Saturday morning January 24, 2004. Tariq told me that he is flying out to Islamabad (ISB) from Lahore (LHE) in the evening and will be operating the Sunday morning flight to Gilgit (GIL). Interestingly there are two daily departures from ISB to GIL everyday and both sorties are performed by the same set of crew. Tariq suggested that I fly out with him on the first flight, do some sightseeing and return back to ISB on the next flight. I agreed, hanged up the phone and made a beeline to the PIA booking office. The PIA booking agent gave me a weird look when I told him that I am returning just 3 hours after arriving in GIL. The ticket was LHE-ISB-GIL-ISB. At around 1500 I drove to Capt. Tariq’s house and the pickup was at 1530. The departure to ISB was at 1715. This was my first ever trip on a Fokker F27. We arrived in ISB at 1800. Capt. Tariq checked with the PIA flight operations and found out that flights to GIL had been cancelled for the past five days due to low visibility. We headed for his flat. Later on had dinner at Pindi Club and thereafter I bought an Rs. 700 camera from a local photo shop.

Pickup was at 0515. We reached Islamabad Airport at 0530. Capt Tariq instructed me to check-in and to meet him on the aircraft. At 0630 we got the bad news, flight delayed because of low visibility for 2 hours. After waiting what seemed like eternity we finally started boarding at 0830. I boarded the aircraft and was escorted to the cockpit. Those of you who are un-familiar with the F27 cockpit. Apart from the Captain & First Officer seat there is just enough space to stand behind the throttle pedestal, with a curtain separating the cockpit from the galley/baggage hold section. We started our taxi run at 0915.

We ended up holding short of the runway, waiting for couple of aircraft landing and taking-off.

As soon as the PIA Boeing 747 crossed us we headed towards the end of Runway 30 and waited till the 747 cleared the runway.

Take-off was surprisingly brisk, as I grabbed the Captain, First Officer seats with both hands. Once airborne we made a right bank and headed north-west over flying Islamabad’s landmarks.

We climbed up to FL 155 with snow covered mountains just 500 feet below us just so I could take this shot.

We soon climbed to FL180, and I was served the cockpit crew breakfast of omelet, chicken sausage, toast and orange juice in the galley.  We headed towards Nanga Parbat. It is truly a breathtaking sight approaching the mountain, with clouds surrounding its summit, making it all the more mysterious.

Next to Nanga Parbat are couple of subsidiary summits which are called “Sleeping Beauty” by the pilots. Contours of which describe a woman lying on her back.

Once we cross the killer mountain we head north-west flying over the river Indus. Interesting fact about river Indus is that when it reaches Gilgit, it has already traveled some 700km.

Soon after we enter Gilgit valley and start to make our descent towards Gilgit Airport. The approach to the runway is quite hair raising. With the F27 dead heading a mountain and than making a left towards the runway some 500 feet before touchdown. The runway itself starts right after a sheer cliff which is right above the Gilgit River.

After landing, Capt. Tariq arranged transportation for me for sightseeing purposes and heads back to Islamabad promising to return in 2-3 hours. I did some shopping, bought some dried fruits, locally woven sweaters, caps etc. One thing which surprised me was, twice people asked whether I was from Pakistan. Later on, talking to some Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officers stationed at the airport over tea, I found out Gilgitians do not consider themselves as Pakistanis. As a nation we have a lot of work to do. 

Meanwhile my return flight had already landed. The CAA people gave me a tour of their small airport. I saw the control tower, the instrument room etc, could not take any pictures for obvious security reasons.

It was time to head back to Islamabad. The return leg was handled by First Officer Shafqat with Capt. Tariq handling the throttle. With more or less reverse of my earlier journey.

We landed around 1430. Went to Capt Tariq’s flat. Took a cab to the Daewoo Bus Terminal and was on the 1630 bus bound for Lahore. Reached Lahore at around 2100 hrs.

Since I made this trip Capt. Tariq has moved on the 737 and I am looking forward to get a chance to fly with him to Skardu. As for AP-AUR it over ran the runway at Chitral and was written off.

As for the trip, all I can say if given a chance; I would do this all over again. I hope the photos I took are acceptable, as I am not a keen photographer. I still don’t own a digital camera.

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